Safety fastener



Oct. 13, 1936. M E CRAlG 2,057,012

SAFETY FASTENER Filed Mal-Ch 29, 1935 INVENTOR.'

4l Il l Ze ATTORNEY.

Patente-d Oct. 13, 1936 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE SAFETY FASTENERMargaret E. Craig, Dallas, Tex. Application March 29, 1935, Serial lNo.13,630

9 claims. (01.24-193) This invention relates to safety fasteners andmore particularly to a device for securing sanitary napkins orcatamenial pads to a belt or other support, and it has for its principalobjects to 'produce a simple, compact, durable and positive fastener towhich the napkin or pad is readily attached with security and withoutbulkiness of folds; to provide for easy adjustment of the end portionsof the napkin or pad on the fastener to properly and ideally shape theattached article for its purposes and to avoid discomfort to the wearer;and to attain certain other advantages as will hereinafter more fullyappear in the following description.

The invention consists in .the novel general construction of thefastener and in the parts and combinations and arrangements of partshereinafter described and pointed out with particularity in the appendedclaims.V

In the accompanying drawing illustrating a practical adaptation of theinvention,-

Figure 1 is a View, on a somewhat enlarged scale, showing in elevationof the outer side, the fastener as applied to the tab member of anordinary belt or support, and the end portion of a napkin or pad of thecharacter described as adjustably attached to the fastener;

Figure 2 is a view partly in edge elevation and partly in section on theline 2-42 of Figure 1, also on an enlarged scale to show more clearlythe details of structure; Y

Figure 3 is a cross section of the fastener detached, and on a stillfurther enlarged scale, the section beingV taken substantially on theline 3-3 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a plan View, looking at the back of the fastener, detachedand in closed condition;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but with the member to which thesupport is to be attached in use shown in opened condition;

Figure 6'is 'an end view of the fastener in the opened condition shownVin Figure 5 and further showing the support attached to its member ofthe fastener;

Figure Tis a fragmentary view, on a greatly enlarged scale, partly insection and partly in elevation, illustrating a preferred constructionand arrangement of the hinge portions of the fastener, the fastenerbeing in closed condition; and v Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7,butshowing the fastener members in opened relation.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral I designates the tab member ofan ordinary belt or other support for a sanitary napkin or catamenialpad and the numeral 2 designates the napkin or pad which may be of anydesirable character. However, as shownythe article 2 is one of the kindat present commonly merchandised and generally used, and morespecifically described as 5 comprising a pad of absorbent materialwithin a gauze envelope, the end portion 3 of which latter' is attached,in use, usually by a safety pin or some specially provided fastener, tothe depending tab of a supporting belt, none of such means of fas- 10tening, as far as the present inventor is aware, being fullysatisfactory or dependable and each having certain disadvantageswhich'the present invention is designed to avoid.

The fastener, as shown, vcomprisesav bail-like 15 member 4 of Wire ormetal of round cross section. The one-side portion 5, about'which theend portion of the napkin or pad 3 is folded in use, is preferablyslightly arcuate orcurved" outwardly, the advantage of which will belater more fully described. At the ends of the portion 5 are straightportions 6, said portions 6 being turned at right angles, as at 1 toform hinge portions, and again bent, as at 8 and cross connected by astraight bar 9 substantially paralleling the curved side bar 5.A f

A companion member Illy co-operates with the member 4, said member I0being constructed of sheet metal of relatively thin gauge but ofrelative stiffness and durability-of the character of that commonly usedin the manufacture of buckles and fasteners of the kind usually providedfor Wearing apparel and similar articles. As shown, this member I0comprises a side portion II of arcuate concavo-convex cross section (seeFigures 2, 3 and 6, for clearer detail), the inner edge portion I2thereof being formed with a series of blunt ended teeth I3. At the endsof the portion II are straight portions I4,'it being noted that theportion I I is curved or bowed outwardly correspondingly to thecurvature of the side portion 5 o-f the member 4 which fits into theconcaved portion of the portion I I of the member I0 (see Figures 3 and4), the end portions I4 having flanges I5 only at their inner margins ascontinuations ofthe inner edge portion I2 of the part II of said memberVI0 (see Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6), the outer margins of the portions I4being without a ange from the point IB to the opposite end of saidportion I4 (see Figures 4, 5 and 6).

'Ihe portions I4 .are cross connected by a straight portion I'I, theinner margin I8 of which is Without any ange, but the outer margin beingflanged, as at I9, throughout the intermediate portion of its length,the portions 2t, adjacent its ends '55 which merge with the end portionsI4 beingwithout a flange. Extending from the portions 20 are tongues 2Iwhich are looped to provide eyes to receive the hinge portions 1 ofthemember 4. As

. tively loosely hinged and ,oneA memberis freelyV` movable with respectto the otherthroughout-an opening movementin an angle of approximatelyi2.5.

po-rtion 22 to be sprung slightly from normal con showrrthese eyeportions are lrolled in general circular form, but with one flat side'22(see Figures7 and 8 for clearer detail) So, too, the hinge portions 1are of generally circular cross section, but, as shown, each has aflattened side 23, the face of said side beingsubstantially tangentialwith the arcV of the circular portion'of the inem-V ber 1 and saidYround portion merging with said flattenedfportion 23fthrough taperingopposite sides 24 which are fiat, or nearly so,zthereby pro#ducingcorners 25, 26. The diametrical distance from the respectivecorners 25 and 26 to the round surface of the member 1 is, of course,greater than the diametrical distance across the round part of saidhinge member1. By this form and the proportions of the hinge member 1and the eye por-V tion 2 I, the two buckle members 4 andIU'arerelaninety ldegrees'beyond which angularity the corner 2,5 ofthemember V1 impinges against theflat portion 22 of the eye loop 2I,thereby causing said dition and continued forcible actuation of the j 1is positioned inY abutting relation to said rflat` member 4 or I I)relativetoV the other effects a snap action and the flat face 23 of themember portion 22 of the eye loop 2|, at which timevthe two members 4and IIIy are in the relative angular relation asfshown in Figure 8, or,in other words,V

said members have been moved through an angle somewhat Yin aexcessfofthe approximate ninety degrees above noted, from whichk relation saidmembers 4 and I0 have to be first forcibly moved to close themone upontheother, or, in other words, While the corner 2.5 is moving inengagement with the flat portion 22 of the eye loop 2| In the use of thefastener the portion 9 of the .member 4 has the tab I of the supportlooped thereabout, as at 21, seeFigures 1, 2 and 6, it

being understood that the tab I depends fromA aY belt (not shown) andthere being a similar tab at Ythe .front Yand rear of thebody ofthewearer and a like fastener is provided on both tabs.

The end portions 3 of. the napkins or pads 2 are applied to thefasteners, by'rst passingthe end portion 3 through the buckle members 4and I with said members in closed relation as shown in Figure 4.. Inpassing the portion3 through 'said members, which is accomplishedeasily, the

frictional contact of theportion 3 of rthe napkinv or pad with the.inner marginal portion I2 of the part II of the'member I0, which memberat the i time is loosely; movable at the hinge portions, au- 60tomatically moves the member I0 to opened position to an angle of arfewdegrees to an approximate maximumrof that illustrated in Figure 6.

During this time the end portion of the napkin This affords a securefastening fcrthenapkin orY 2,o57,o12 y Y pad which will not accidentallywork loose, yet,

at the same time, adjustment of the napkin or pad to the body of thewearer is readily and conveniently effected without necessitatingremoval Y of the article to accomplish the adjustment.

After the napkin or pad is attached, as above described,.the wearer candraw the end portion ofthe napkin or pad further through the buckle, f

if necessary, by merely pulling the free end portion 28,.V either. tobring thefnapkin or padV closer to the body or to adjust theform of'thei'articla Y In the latter case, for example, if it is desired'todraw the side marginal portions of the napkin or pad tighter and leaveplenty of slack between the side marginal portions to create` a hollowpocket or hammock effect, the corners of the free end Vportion 28v arealone pulled. The slightly arcuate or outwardly bowed form of the partsand II or pad to the fastener and obviates the necessity for making thelast aforesaid adjustment' to any great extent, the curvature oftheparts5rand I I being of relatively slight though predetermined The blunttoothed marginal portion I3 of the member II serves to gripmore firmlythev ad#` jacent portions of the napkin or padffolded around the members5 and II and adds' to the security of the fastener, yet, as hereinabovestated, does not interfere with theV necessary adjustments.

facilitates the ideal attachment of the napkin The device is simple andcompact, made of light.v

weight material, yet strong and durable and is" ideally adaptedV for the'use more particularly intended. So, too, by having the attaching por.-V

tion 9 for the supporting tab I,oifset asit is from the axis of thehinge members 1, the tendency is to throw the lower portion ofthe'fastener inwardly towardsV thebody of the wearer, but withoutuncomfortable or injurious pressure, thereby -holding the napkin or padclosely and snugly to the person. Furthermorthe manner of attaching thenapkin or ,padV to the fastener produces no appreciable protuberance orbulge ing cf the outer garments of the wearenfwhich is an importantadvantage in the use of the device of the present invention. y

It may be herenoted that thev illustrative g. ures of the drawing showthe fastener in greatly tions and dimensions of the membersv 4 and I0,as found from experimentation and actual-V use, is one inch insidemeasurement between the end bars 6 of the member 4 and between the endbars I4: of the member IU, and five sixteenths ofan inch between theside bars II and I1 ofsaid member I0. The invention, however, is notlimited, toy

any specific dimensions ofV the fastener members,`

except, that in use, theV distancebetween, the side bar 6 or-I4, as thecase may be, mustv be sufficient to accommodateV the'attached endportions of the napkin,u pad or article withoutdeforming the natural ornormal shape of the napkin, pad or article. f I

Obviously, the structure of the fastenenmay be modified in many respectswithout in theleast departing from the spirit and scope' of` the inven-lV tion as defined in the appended claims. The invention, therefore, isnot Vlimited, to the specific construction, arrangement and applicationof the device shown in the accompanying drawing.

What is claimed is: A y. f

1. The herein described fastener, comprisingV` a wire member having anoutwardly bowed side bar, right angular end bars, right angular hingeportions at the ends of said end bars remote from Venlarged orexaggerated size. The ideal proper: Y

said side bar, right angular members extending inwardly toward saidoutwardly bowed bar from said hinge portions, and a bar connecting saidinwardly extending members and extending substantially parallel withsaid rst named side bar, a companion memberV of sheet metal havinghinged portions looped about said hinge portions of said wire member,said sheet metal member having a bar at its hinge side, end barscorrelated to the end bars of said wire member, and a side barcorrelated to the first mentioned side bar of the wire member andcorrespondingly bowed.

2. 'I'he fastener set forth in claim 1, and the correlated side bar ofthe sheet metal member being concavo-convex in cross section.

3. The herein described fastener, comprising a pair of co-operatingbuckle members hingedly attached together, the hinge including a loopedtongue extension of one member, said looped extension being rolledgenerally round but having one fiat and resiliently yieldable sideportion, the other member having a hinge portion rotatable within saidlooped extension and being of generally round cross section but having aflat face at one side, said at faces of both said looped and said hingedportions being substantially tangential with the arc of the roundportion thereof, said hinge portion having corners at opposite sides ofits flat face protruding at a distance from the axis greater than theradius of the round portion thereof.

4. The fastener as set forth in claim 3, and the hinge portion of thesecond mentioned buckle member having two opposite tapering facesapproximately fiat and merging at oneextremity with the periphery of theround portion and joining angularly with the substantially tangentialflat face.

5. A fastener of the character described, comprising a co-operating pairof buckle members hingedly attached together, the engaged hinge portionsof said members being tted to rotate generally loosely the one withinthe other, the outer one of said hinge portions having a part thereofflattened tangentially with respect to its generally round bearingsurface and resiliently yiel-dable, and the inner hinge portion having asimilarly flattened tangential face with peripherally protrudingcorners, whereby during part of the relative rotative movement of theone hinge portion with respect to the other impingement of a corner ofthe inner hinge portion occurs upon the flattened part of the outerhinge portion With a springing effect of the latter, after whichoccurrence the cooperatively juxtaposed flattened parts of the two hingeportions maintain the two buckle members normally in the moved relationuntil forcibly moved reversely with such aforesaid impingement andspringing effect.

6. The fastener set forth in claim 1, and the end bars of the sheetmetal member having flanges at their inner margins, but being smooth andunobstructed at their outer margins.

7. A fastener for sanitary napkins, pads and the like, comprising abail-like member in the form of a continuous open frame, one side ofsaid member having opposed alined hinge portions near its opposite ends,the portion of said side intermediate the hinge portions being inwardlyoffset but extending parallel with the axis of said hinge portions andthe opposite side of said member being in substantially parallelrelation to said inwardly offset portion, the inwardly offset portionprovided for the 'attachment of a supporting element, and a correlatedcompanion baillike member comprising an open frame formed of sheet metaland conforming in general to the shape of said first described bail-likemember, said companion member having looped extensions at one side, nearthe opposite ends thereof, pivotally sleeved on the hinge portions ofsaid rst described bail-like member, the opposite side of said seconddescribed bail-like member being concavo-convex in cross section andcooperatively conforming receptively to the side of said rst describedbail-like member paralleling its hinged and inwardly offset oppositeside portions.

8. The fastener structure set forth in claim 7, and further describingthe concavo-convex cross sectional side of the companionbail-like memberas having a series of teeth formed on its inner marginal portion. Y,

9. A fastener of the character described, comprising a pair of bail-likeframe members hingedly attached together at one side, one of saidmembers being made of material of round cross section, the companionmember being of substantially the same general shape ofv said firstdescribed member but made of sheet metal, the side of said firstdescribed member opposite its side at which it is hinged to saidcompanion member being slightly bowed arcuately outwardly and thecorresponding side of sai-d companion member being likewise bowed tocooperatively conform to and receive said bowed side of said firstdescribed member, said bowed side of said companion member being ofconcave-convex cross section.

MARGARET E. CRAIG.

